Chapter 15
Oh my! Hey, did you just totally ignore me?
It was blatant disrespect to anyone watching, but honestly, I felt nothing.
Arwin was the sort of person who could treat even the Empire’s number one beauty—later to be known in high society as its reigning flower, though she hadn’t appeared yet in the story because she was “away traveling” in the setting—like a bit of grit under his shoe.
By nature, he had little interest in people—Evelyn being the exception, of course, since she’s the heroine—so the idea that he’d pay me any real attention was actually more absurd.
It was exactly the indifference I’d expected. Nothing to be upset about.
If anything, the one who looked flustered was Evelyn.
“Say hello. This is my friend, Latte Ect—”
“Not interested.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t care. More importantly, be careful today.”
So nothing dangerous happens. Awin added that, then gave Evelyn a little wave, saying he had something to do.
And then he vanished—just like that.
In the blink of an eye, Awin had disappeared, and the shop that had been our original destination filled my vision again.
Wow… he just casually teleports like that…
I mean, he’s a magical genius, so of course he can, but still—what a luxury. The entire Empire must feel like his living room.
I stared silently at the now empty spot where he’d stood, and Evelyn turned toward me with a troubled look.
Huh? Troubled?
I tilted my head slightly, wondering why she was looking at me like that.
Surely she didn’t feel responsible for Arwin’s behavior?
“…Are you alright?”
“Yes? Why wouldn’t I be?”
I shrugged.
Was I supposed to feel stung after being openly ignored to my face?
But Arwin treated everyone like this—except Evelyn. It’s not like I had just done a sexy pole dance in front of him; there was no reason to be disappointed he didn’t take notice.
I even shook my head to emphasize how utterly unbothered I was.
I had zero intention of becoming the type of character who seethes with jealousy and goes dark with rage, thinking, What’s the heroine got that I don’t? What’s so special about her that she’s treated so differently? Why?!
If anything, this was a situation where one might flatter and cling to him, not resent him.
That role was already overfilled by other supporting characters.
“Since I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about it either, Evelyn.”
I put on what I hoped was a benevolent smile as I said this.
After all, there was no reason for her to feel embarrassed about Arwin’s rudeness.
It’s not like she’s his mother. Now, if he’d actually slapped me, then sure—she could feel a sense of responsibility as the owner of his “fish tank.”
As I was thinking that, Evelyn’s expression shifted suddenly. It was just for a moment, but it wasn’t one I’d ever seen on her before—an unfamiliar look that stood out for its strangeness.
Before I could fully take it in, her face was back to its usual, gentle smile.
Uh… what was that?
I blinked in confusion, thinking I might have imagined it. The expression she wore now was the same as always.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Oh, and by the way, the person you just met is the one I told you about this morning—the one who found my wallet.”
“Really? I see.”
I made a vague sound of agreement, opened the shop door, and let her go in first before following her inside—still mulling over that odd expression from earlier.
What was that?
It had happened so quickly I couldn’t be sure.
In truth, it didn’t matter much what kind of face Evelyn had made toward me—strange or unpleasant… well, okay, unpleasant would be a bit of a problem.
As long as it wasn’t some expression meaning “let’s stop being friends,” I honestly didn’t care.
And with that, I pushed the half-formed image of her fleeting expression from my mind.
From morning till now, I’d gone over to Evelyn’s, taken a walk, visited the library, eaten at the marketplace, and even run into three “fish” in succession. Quite the unexpectedly busy day.
Meeting all the male leads one after another was pretty amazing, thinking about it now.
What day was it today? I should mark it on the calendar as Fish Day.
I imagined circling it on a calendar as I returned to the viscount’s estate.
It was still early afternoon—three hours until sunset.
It wasn’t late enough to cause any concern about being out, so I was planning to slip into my room and change clothes.
But then—
“Young lady!”
With the force of someone saying You’re finally here! Ushla came dashing up to me like lightning.
I froze in surprise right as I stepped into the estate.
From the way she looked, you’d think she’d been waiting all day for me to come back. For a second, I wondered if I’d been gone since yesterday.
“Uh… Ushla?”
“You came at just the right time. Everyone was waiting for you.”
“Waiting? For me?”
Why? And everyone, she said.
I hadn’t heard anything about this in the morning, so I followed her with puzzled steps.
She led me to the meeting room.
Huh? The meeting room? They’d been holding a meeting while waiting for me?
And then, a sudden flash of realization hit me.
N-no way!
My name is Latte Ectry. I’m a noblewoman, eighteen years old. And up to this age, I have lived without any serious romantic partner.
Which means…
“Viscount, the young lady has returned.”
“Oh, good. Latte.”
I stepped into the meeting room with stiff, awkward steps.
Familiar faces sat gathered around the long round table.
Feeling confused about what expression I should be wearing, I slowly approached.
Seeing Father there told me this was indeed something important—and I seemed to be the main subject of it.
Wait… at what age do young noble ladies usually get engaged again? Eighteen… wasn’t it?
“Sit here. I have something urgent to tell you.”
I sat beside my mother, my heart pounding fast.
There was worry on her graceful face. That wasn’t unusual for her, but somehow this felt different—and it made me uneasy.
No, seriously? Really? But this is way too sudden!
“It’s nothing else, but…”
The inevitable fate of noble daughters that I’d read about countless times in romance novels swirled through my mind.
And Father, speaking more cautiously than usual, only made my sense of doom stronger.
I wasn’t prepared, I hadn’t even thought of what I’d say, but it felt like the bombshell was about to drop.
Oh no oh no oh no.
I sat up ramrod straight in nervousness.
Father spoke again.
No!
“I was thinking… how about starting a business with that popcorn of yours?”
“An arranged marriage is too soon—wait, what?”
Huh??
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
And he stared back at me, looking just as baffled.
…So it’s not an arranged marriage?
“What did you just say?”
“No, nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
I shook my head so hard my tied hair slapped against the back of my neck.
There was no stopping the heat rising to my cheeks in pure embarrassment.
Father cleared his throat a few times, graciously overlooking my ridiculous misunderstanding.
…Thank you, Father.
Why had I jumped to such a wild conclusion? Meeting, serious mood, everyone waiting—that combination had made me immediately assume “arranged marriage.”
I really had no right to criticize Book for his narrow thinking.
I swallowed my tears and mentally ordered a week’s worth of “blanket kicking” from embarrassment.
“Anyway, as I was saying—your popcorn snack gave me an idea for a business. I hear it’s easy to make and doesn’t need fancy ingredients.”
Still burning with shame, I cupped my flushed cheeks in both hands and listened.
A popcorn business, huh?
It was something I hadn’t even thought of myself.
Would popcorn really sell?
The moment I thought about it, I could taste the savory, salty flavor of the original, the spicy kick of the hot seasoning, the unique tang of cheese powder, and the sweet richness of caramel popcorn I’d loved in the past.
…Yeah, this could work.
“I was thinking of starting with a small traveling merchant group to sell it. If it does well, we could open a shop later…”
“Sounds great! I’m all for it.”
I answered energetically.
Not just “work”—if we got lucky, this could make us rich.
And that was a very desirable thing. If my two lifetimes had taught me anything, it’s that money is always right. Cash is truth.
Father seemed surprised at my enthusiasm, but then his face lit up with pleasure.
The fact that the popcorn’s creator—me, in this world—was so in favor clearly made him happy.
Beside him, the butler, Dru, and my old nanny Velvet were all smiling warmly too. From those smiles, I got the sense that—
This was going to be a joint investment, wasn’t it?
Well, getting rich together was fine by me.
The atmosphere was already warm and cheerful, as if the business had already succeeded, when I asked something that had been on my mind.
“By the way, Father, did you get off work early?”
Since he commuted to the Imperial Palace, it was oddly early for him to be home.
“I took paid leave.”
Ah! So they have that blessing here too.
I nodded.
“Anyway, since you approve, we should get the business started as soon as possible. I’ll have Chief Steward Saseyel, who’s experienced, take charge of the merchant group…”
Father sounded excited.
Mother still looked somewhat worried, but she could relax—this was a small-scale venture with minimal risk, and even if it failed, my royalties could cover the loss.
Viscount Ecktry was not a reckless risk-taker; he wouldn’t overextend the business. Not that we had the funds to, anyway.
I gave Mother a reassuring wink. This was starting to become a habit. I’d better be careful not to do that to someone like Kenis and lose my head.
Yes, caution.
The meeting soon shifted into practical details.
Once it got to specifics, I had little to contribute—business wasn’t my area of knowledge or experience.
As the dull discussion dragged on, the fatigue I’d forgotten about earlier began to creep back in.
I excused myself and left the room.
Outside, Ushla was waiting for me, sticking close to my side.
She looked strangely excited.
“Are we going to be rich now?”
Her round eyes sparkled more than usual.
…Wait. Did you invest too?
The thought occurred to me that Velvet might have organized the maids and servants to pool some funds together.
This might be a business venture with the whole estate involved.
Their expectations for the popcorn seemed pretty high. Well, it had been a big hit.
“We’ll have to wait and see, but probably, yes?”
“Hehe, I hope so.”
“Me too.”
We chatted lightly as we headed for my room.
I was thinking of resting for a bit, then getting a massage before dinner.
Oh, and I should go for a walk too.
The cream dish I’d had at lunch with Evelyn had been rich and flavorful—the kind of deliciousness that practically guaranteed weight gain.
Why is it that tastes good = makes you fat is a constant law of the universe?
I hated how this world considered a wasp-thin waist an essential virtue for noblewomen.
Cruel, cruel noble society.
As soon as I got to my room, I had Ushla help me strip out of my stuffy outdoor clothes.
Changing into soft indoor wear felt like heaven.
In my past life, I used to lounge around in pajamas and even step outside like that—but now, that was unthinkable.
I carefully washed my hands and brushed my teeth—immune system maintenance—then flopped onto the bed.
I rolled around for a full one and a half turns before hugging a fluffy pillow.
Even though it was only afternoon, it felt like the whole day had already passed.
Blinking at the ceiling, I suddenly thought I might really mark the calendar.
Today was… the memorial Fish Day!
I reached for the calendar, but then my hand stopped as another thought struck me.
A quick glance around the room confirmed I was alone—Ushla had left after helping me change, telling me to call if I needed anything.
Hmm… how many scrolls did I have left?
I changed course, reaching for my stash instead of the calendar.
In the past, whenever life started to feel boring or I hit writer’s block, I’d go out and buy scrolls—but ever since Evelyn had shown up, I hadn’t needed to. Watching the “fish” was just too entertaining to get bored.
I had seven scrolls left from my last shopping trip about a month ago. With that many, I could wander into a shady alley alone without worrying about getting stabbed.
And since I rarely needed them when I was with Evelyn, the number probably wouldn’t go down anytime soon.
But at the time, I didn’t know—
—that I’d be burning through all of them in one go, very soon.
